7 Jan 2020

Two more deaths from measles in Samoa over New Year period

9:03 am on 7 January 2020

Two more people died from measles in Samoa over the New Year period.

The Ministry of Health said the two fatalities, an infant and and adult, died between 29 December and 5 January, taking the death toll from the outbreak to 83.

This handout picture released from UNICEF Samoa shows nurse April Wilson (L) and team leader Luisa Popo preparing vaccinations during a nationwide campaign against measles in the Samoan town of Le'auva'a.

This handout picture released from UNICEF Samoa shows nurse April Wilson (L) and team leader Luisa Popo preparing vaccinations during a nationwide campaign against measles in the Samoan town of Le'auva'a. Photo: AFP PHOTO / ALLAN STEPHEN / UNICEF

The ministry said 30 new cases of measles were reported during the same period.

It said as of Monday, there had been 5697 measles cases reported to the Disease Surveillance Team since the outbreak started in October.

Sixteen patients with measles are currently admitted to Samoa's main hospital, including four critically ill children.

Meanwhile, American Samoa now has 11 confirmed measles cases with one suspected case pending laboratory testing.

The latest confirmed case was a two-year-old, who was hospitalised on Christmas day but has since been discharged.

The latest statistics were presented to Governor Lolo Moliga this week by the Department of Health.

With the latest measles case, the department has advised that the reopening of day-care centres has now been delayed until next week.

However public schools will resume today as planned.

Health authorities say children of day-care age, which includes babies under six months of age, are the most vulnerable.

So far, more than 13,000 vaccinations have been administered out of a targeted population of just under 16,000.

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